Kimberly wondered if there wasn’t an easier way to earn a living. Not that she was earning anything beyond a few get-out-of-purgatory-free-days and a mammoth headache.
As a volunteer tutor at a local college, she happily offered her writing skills to those in need of literary assistance. Her gaze shifted from the screen in front of her to the student beside her. Kimberly clenched her jaw and tapped her lips. Hmmm. How does one tell an anxious student that you can barely make out the meaning of her first sentence?
Kimberly cleared her throat. “Could you tell me what you’re trying to say here? I mean the general point of the paper?”
The girl was about twenty and apparently—from the way she kept writing her hands—desperate to get her paper reviewed in a hurry.
“It mean, like, we all God’s children. Science not know that. Can’t test faith. You know what I mean?”
Oh, yeah. Kimberly nodded. Yep. She understood perfectly. Clearly English was a second, maybe even a third, language. So what to do?
The girl smiled. “It’s kind of you. To help me. I know it’s bad…” She shrugged. “Never got practice much.”
Squaring her shoulders, Kimberly faced the sentence again. Yeah, it was tangled in a heap of words…but tangles can get untangled. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. “So, let’s start with your topic sentence…”
~~~
As she settled onto the couch with a hot cup of tea and a glorious chocolate chip cookie, Kimberly glanced up.
Her husband, Ron, entered the room, tossed his work bag on an end table, and groaned, “I love my job…I love my job…I love my job.” He stumped to the couch, flopped next to Kimberly, threw back his head, and slapped his hands over his face.
Kimberly licked the crumbs off her lips and nodded. “So what you’re saying is—you love your job.”
Ron dragged his fingers down his face and glanced aside. “Yep.”
“Well, that’s a great topic sentence. Care to offer any supporting evidence?”
Ron practically melted as he stretched out, his legs sprawled under the coffee table and his arms limp at his sides. He looked like a beached whale. Kimberly figured she wouldn’t mention this fact at present.
Spluttering a long exasperated sigh, Ron, obviously using the last bit of his strength, lifted a feeble hand, a finger slightly raised above the others. “One, I have a great boss.”
Kimberly took another bite out of her cookie and suppressed an indecent groan of pleasure.
Ron’s second finger wavered upward. “Two, my co-workers are terrific people.”
A sip of tea almost undid Kimberly’s composure. Who knew that Earl Grey could burst with such savory perfection?
Like a depleted Olympic long-distance runner barely making it to the finish line, Ron’s third finger joined his digital mates. “I actually like commercial design. Creative. Fun. A constant blast of innovation.”
Kimberly peered at the last piece of her cookie. Should she share it? She pursed her lips as she glanced from the pathetic figure to the chips gleaming from the cookie crust. Dang, it smelled so good. She hesitated.
Ron glanced over and fixed his gaze on the sweet treat. “Any more of those?”
Kimberly popped the delectable morsel into her mouth and chewed quickly. “Uh, well…”
With a near sob, Ron hoisted himself off the couch and stared down at his wife.
She grinned in innocence. “I didn’t want to ruin your appetite. Dinner’ll be ready in an hour or so.”
“Yeah. And you love me, too. I get it. Thanks.” He slogged his limp body toward the kitchen.
A tug of regret pulled at Kimberly’s cookie-happy tummy. “Wait. You never told me the summary.”
Ron propped himself in the doorway. “The what?”
Kimberly sat up and brushed incriminating crumbs from her shirt. “You know. How it all ends. To restate how much you love your job.”
“Oh, yeah.” Ron rested his head on the doorframe. “Did I mention that my company has been bought out, I’m getting a new boss, a completely different position, one I know practically nothing about, and nearly all my co-workers are being transferred overseas?”
Kimberly closed her eyes. The savory sweetness in her mouth had turned dry as dust. She stood there, guilt and grief tangling her thoughts. Footsteps padded near. She felt strong arms wrap around her.
Ron murmured in her ear. “I may have lost the job I love and missed the last bite of cookie, but surely, I have something left to live for?”
Kimberly snuggled into her husband’s embrace as a distinctly new sweetness swept over her. She opened her eyes and stared into his eyes. “Certainly, my love. Glad to help. Now, let’s see if we can write a new topic sentence…”
Novels by A. K. Frailey
Science Fiction
Last of Her Kind http://amzn.to/2y1HJvg
Newearth: Justine Awakens http://amzn.to/2pq0vWN
Historical Fiction
Melchior—Vengeance Is Mine http://amzn.to/2taeW2r
Historical Fiction & Science Fiction Blend
OldEarth ARAM Encounter https://amzn.to/2KLhlsN
OldEarth Ishtar Encounter https://amzn.to/2OAkDQF
OldEarth Neb Encounter (In production)
OldEarth Georgios Encounter (In production)
Children’s Book
The Adventures of Tally-Ho http://amzn.to/2sLfcI5
Inspirational Non-Fiction
The Road Goes Ever On—A Christian Journey Through The Lord of the Rings http://amzn.to/2lWBd00